XI

THE  BOWERY  MISSION

IT is a sad and pathetic condition when a street
or locality owes its fame to its viciousness.
For many years the Bowery was known as
one of the most wicked, if not the most wicked,
street in the world. There was ample justification
for this notoriety, as I, from over thirty years on
the Bowery, can testify. Externally there is no
resemblance between the Bowery of to-day and the
Bowery of about ten years ago. In the olden days
not a block was without its concert hall—merely
another name for brothel—its dive, its gambling
hell, and its bilking house. There was no pretence
about them. They were openly conducted, adver¬
tising themselves by garish posters or loud-mouthed
barkers. Then, the Bowery—no matter how the
rest of the town fared—was always wide open. To
day flagrant vice has departed from the Bowery.
Only one concert hall remains, and the other ne¬
farious occupations are conducted very much on
the quiet, and not with very great profit.

During the day the Bowery appears as many
other streets in the cify.    There are banks, office

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